The Biggest And Brightest “Blue Supermoon” Will Make An Appearance In The Sky
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On 30th August 2023 the night sky will appear brighter with the biggest “Blue Supermoon” you will see this year. The blue supermoon will make an appearance in the night sky that captures a rare convergence resulting from three specific lunar phenomena.
Gordon Johnston who is from NASA’s Solar System Exploration explained the event saying the upcoming supermoon is the result of the merger with a full moon and blue moon which aligns with the Hindu festival Rakhi Purnima.
In a rare occurrence, the Earth-based longitudes will be in perfect alignment with moon to sun that will result in this Blue supermoon on 30th August. The blue supermoon will be the biggest and brightest that lights up the sky at night at 9:36 p.m. EDT.
The appearance of Saturn with the brightest blue supermoon can also be observed on this day. Saturn will be located five degrees above the blue supermoon towards the right-hand corner at 8:42 p.m when evening twilight ceases.
According to NASA, the blue supermoon and Saturn will then appear to dance for observers with the ringed planet swinging clockwise around the supermoon throughout the evening.
What makes a moon a “supermoon”?
The supermoon phenomenon occurs when the moon’s closeness to the Earth during its full moon phase is relatively closer. This results in the moon appearing brighter and more substantial. Now the term “blue” with the supermoon does not refer to its color. Instead, it is a reference to the second full moon of this month. This term can be traced back to the 1946 Sky and Telescope magazine definition.
This lunar event has coincided with a Hindu festival, Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi Purnima that celebrates the unbreakable bond between brothers and sisters. This festival involves a ritual where sisters tie a rakhi (decorated cotton bracelet) on their brothers’ wrists while receiving gifts in return. This act of tying rakhi symbolizes mutual protection and a bond between siblings.
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